This invention relates to plasticized polyolefin compositions and, more particularly to plasticized, flame retardant olefin polymer compositions. Specifically, the invention is directed to a composition consisting essentially of an olefin polymer containing, as a preferred embodiment, a compatible plasticizer and antimony oxide.
It is well known that conventional plasticizers are normally incompatible with olefin polymers. Thus, attempts to incorporate conventional plasticizers result in a product wherein the plasticizer "blooms", i.e., separates and migrates to the surface, to such an extent that the product is unusable.
Although the use of plasticizers with olefin polymers would increase the olefin polymer characteristics, such as flexibility, and would improve low temperature properties and decrease processing temperatures, olefin polymers are not ordinarily plasticized at the present time in view of the problem discussed above.
Similarly, flame retardance has been difficult to build into olefin polymers since almost all additives appear to suffer from incompatibility with olefin polymers.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,525,961 provides certain chlorobutyl and chlorobutoxybutyl esters of phthalic acid as plasticizers for cellulose derivatives, vinyl chloride polymers and alkyd resins. The compounds disclosed, however, are not taught to be compatible with resins other than the named resins and there is no indication that similar esters could be used as compatible plasticizers for olefin polymers.
Accordingly, the main objective of the present invention is to provide compatible plasticizers for olefin polymers.